Against an opponent who would have looked more at home in an octopus tank, Carl Froch kept his IBF world super-middleweight title in front of friends and family in Nottingham with a knockout of the unconvincing American challenger Yusaf Mack.

It was not the champion's finest eight-and-a-half minutes but hardly his fault. Andre Ward, who embarrassed Froch last year, had said he would not be watching and saved himself an ugly experience, as his compatriot clawed, sweated, stared and toppled in front of Froch.

"I was a bit cautious, then found my range," Froch said. "I did what I had to do. Yusaf didn't have much of a chance tonight."

That is putting it charitably. It was Mack's first serious fight at 12st in five years and how he inveigled his way into a world title fight is a mystery familiar to patrons of this strange sport and business. Froch found Mack midway through the first round, rocking him with a right, rolling him with a left and a push – and down he went confused; up he got, none the wiser, on distinctly unreliable legs. By the end of the session, Mack was blowing hard as he wobbled to the sanctuary of his stool.

The challenger was stricken prey, reduced to feinting and swinging in hope from a distance as he waited for the next barrage. They exchanged smiles after a flurry on the ropes at the end of the second but Froch's had the hint of a smirk.

Mack brought little to the party but his jerky awkwardness, a man fortunate to be taking his licks in such company. Froch said he had watched few tapes of his opponent (he rarely does) or he might have witnessed his four previous stoppage losses. A right to the ribs took the wind and stuffing out of the American, a neat left dropped him for the full count in the third and the agony was over – for all of us.

Froch's promoter, Eddie Hearn, said: "The plan is to have as many quality fights as possible in 2013." That's a relief.

On the undercard, the accomplished Liverpool light-heavyweight Tony Bellew boxed behind a jab and a flickering veil of blood for much of his fight against the Argentinian Roberto Feliciano Bolonti to win the WBC's vacant silver title, which might be parlayed into the real thing at some point. The Liverpudlian, who had promised a war, had Bolonti down for an eight-count in a free-swinging first round, and caught him off balance in the third with a left to the top of the head. Although an ugly gash on Bellew's left eyebrow – legally inflicted, according to the referee Phil Edwards – gave the visitor heart, the tough, round-shouldered plodder, with one loss in 31 bouts, lacked the wit to exploit his advantage, and Bellew, expertly patched up by the renowned Mick Williamson, boxed his way to a wide points win on all three cards, Bolonti granted a single round.

Bellew, who dropped a close decision to Nathan Cleverly three fights ago, wants to move up from this class, ideally for a rematch with Frank Warren's unbeaten world champion from Cefn Fforest. Cleverly last weekend outclassed late substitute Shawn Hawk over eight rounds in Los Angeles.

Froch, meanwhile, will want nothing to do with Cleverly – despite entreaties from Warren on Saturday – especially as he is committed to a rematch with Lucian Bute and chasing returns against Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward.

Earlier on Saturday night, in a sold-out arena, Scotty Cardle scored his eighth win in as many months, a one-sided beating of Nicaraguan target man Miguel Aguilar. Based in Spain, the 25-year-old light-welter did well to know what hemisphere he was in, soaking up one sickening head shot after another for eight rounds from the former amateur star, who remains on track to make a domestic breakthrough some time in 2013.

While Cardle went high, his former Great Britain team-mate Kahlid Yafai again chose to finish it downstairs, burying a wicked right into the liver of hapless Italian bantamweight Pio Antonio Nettuno in the first and only round. Yafai, with four wins from four, didn't make it to the Olympics but he looks special as a pro, at bantamweight.

Kell Brook confirmed in the ring he will fight Devon Alexander for a version of the world welterweight title, at a venue to be confirmed in the United States on on 19 January.